Tequila! Cupcakes

The Ann's have it. Yes, for the next 3 weeks my blog will turned over to Ann(e), my two friends since high school. Back in the day, whenever we would meet new people (i.e. boys) they would say "hi, we're Ann(e)" - which I always thought was so cute and clever. Fast forward an unmentionable amount of years and they still never fail to entertain.

First up, Anne with an e from Milwaukee who is known for her fancy footwork in and out of the kitchen (see A Flan to Remember). For the past four years she has completed the New York MS Society's Climb to the Top challenge, hoofing it up 66 flights of stairs to the top of Rockefeller Center.This year, however, her dogs are tired and she has passed the torch to two of her kids. But, she put her best foot forward for a fundraiser for their effort, and thus these drunken cupcakes courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker. Known to imbibe, I am not surprised that she chose dessert with a kick. One thing, though, Anne never stumbles when it comes to decorating her baked goods, as she cut her teeth icing frozen confections at Baskin-Robbins in high school. 

 They do come with a warning : Don't eat and drive. 

The Big Shoe Dance needs no introduction....

The Recipe:

For the Cupcakes:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
Zest and juice of 1½ limes
2 tablespoons tequila
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk

To Brush the Cupcakes:
1 to 2 tablespoons tequila

For the Tequila-Lime Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2¾ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila
Pinch of coarse salt

DIRECTIONS: (take it one step at a time)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and tequila. Mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don't worry, it will all come back together, power on!)

6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pan at the halfway point.

8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

9. To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the lime juice, tequila and salt mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with lime zest, an additional sprinkling of salt and a lime wedge. Make one dozen boozed up cakes in a cup.